Committee on Committees and Rules meeting, April 7, 2025
- When: Mon, Apr 7, 2025, 9:30 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Committees and Rules
- Video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1073316290
- Transcript: full text (7,547 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Committees and Rules approved its February 2025 Rule 45 report and, by a roll call vote announced as 35 yeas and 10 nays, recommended approval of Anthony Quezada's appointment as 35th Ward alderperson to replace Carlos Ramírez-Rosa, who resigned. Public commenters mostly spoke in support of the appointment, while one opposed it and another criticized the appointee. On a resolution placing the appointee on his predecessor's committees, Alderpersons Reilly and Sposato objected to new members inheriting seats on demanding committees such as Finance and Budget without senior members being offered them first. Alderperson Anthony Beale offered an amendment adding himself to the Budget Committee, and after a recess to draft it, the committee adopted a substitute resolution including that change. The chair said she would survey members on which committees they want to join or leave.
Topics: 35th Ward appointment, Committee assignments, Rule 45 report, Seniority and committee seats, Public comment
Agenda items discussed
- 43:39 February 2025 Rule 45 report: passed
- 44:05 Appointment of Anthony Quezada as Alderperson of the 35th Ward: passed
- 53:46 Resolution amending committee chairs, vice chairs and members for the 2023-2027 term to include the 35th Ward appointee: passed
- 1:00:25 Amendment adding Alderperson Anthony Beale to the Committee on Budget and Government Operations: passed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Michelle A. Harris (chair): Responded to concerns about committee assignments by saying appointees have historically taken their predecessors' committees and that members wishing to switch committees can raise it with her. (55:32); Said legal advised that the proposed amendment must be put in writing and distributed before a vote, and called a recess to draft it. (1:01:16); Said she will send all members a notice asking which committees they want to join or leave, noting committee size limits. (1:38:18)
- Brendan Reilly (alderperson): Questioned the new appointee inheriting a senior member's seats on Budget and Finance and asked whether senior members were offered those committees first. (54:22); Said committee assignments were not automatically transferred to successors under some past mayors and asked for a process that gives deference to senior members. (56:24)
- Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Said the appointee should not be placed on four demanding committees and that the committee assignments should be reshuffled so others can join Finance or Budget. (57:14)
- Michael D. Rodriguez (alderperson): Said that appointees in his first term also took their predecessors' committees, that upending the process this way did not make sense, and that he would move to pass. (58:50)
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Suggested the council draft legislation establishing a process for committee assignments of appointees, while moving forward with the current resolution. (59:38)
- Anthony Beale (alderperson): Agreed with Reilly's concern and offered an amendment adding himself to the Budget Committee. (1:00:25); Said friendly amendments have historically been drafted by the Law Department in time for the council meeting. (1:01:37)
- Jason C. Ervin (alderperson): Said members wanting to change committees should go through the chair in an orderly process and that committee workloads should be evened out, since some members serve on one or two committees and others on ten. (1:02:24)
- David H. Moore (alderperson)
Exchanges between members
- 45:54 Lopez asked the chair whether the appointee would make a statement before the vote.
- 49:38 Moore asked the chair to make statements before the roll call.
- 49:47 The chair told Moore he could make his statements at the City Council meeting.
- 54:21 Reilly asked the chair whether senior members were offered the committee seats before they were transferred to the appointee.
- 55:32 The chair answered Reilly that appointees have historically taken their predecessors' committees.
- 56:12 Reilly responded that changes require the chair to call a meeting and that assignments were not always transferred in the past.
- 57:14 Sposato said he agreed with his colleague Reilly about the committee assignments.
- 1:00:25 Beale said he agreed with Reilly and offered an amendment adding himself to the Budget Committee.
- 1:34:49 The chair asked Beale to change his amendment.
- 1:36:15 Ervin asked Beale to withdraw his motion in favor of the substitute resolution.
- 1:36:31 Beale said he had agreed to withdraw and moved the substitute adding him to the Budget Committee.